Some Lost New York Restaurants Will Get a New Life

Jean Denoyer and Antoine J. Camin stand by the original doors of La Goulue.

Sasha Maslov for The New York Times

By FLORENCE FABRICANT

August 24, 2017

There are no plans yet to excavate Lutèce from the rubble. But several important restaurants that have been closed for some time will reappear this fall.

Jean Denoyer, a restaurateur whose only rival is Keith McNally when it comes to recreating vintage Paris, lost his lease in 2009 for La Goulue, an Upper East Side haunt of the well-heeled and well-connected. Its Art Nouveau fixtures and paneling went into storage. Soon they will resurface a few blocks south, in a space with dimensions (and an entrance) that replicate the restaurant’s last incarnation. (The original La Goulue was on East 70th Street for 20 years before moving to Madison Avenue and 65th Street.) The chef, Antoine Camin, who has been cooking at Mr. Denoyer’s Orsay all these years, said his menu would combine tradition with seasonal dishes.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, named for the French chef, who has fistfuls of Michelin stars, opened in Paris in 2003, and had a branch in the Four Seasons hotel in New York from 2006 to 2012. Now it’s moving to a hipper neighborhood on the edge of the meatpacking district, in the expansive space that housed Colicchio & Sons. The heart of the restaurant will be its famous dining counter and cluster of tables, done in signature red, black and polished wood by Pierre-Yves Rochon, with an informal bar and lounge area in front. The chef is Christophe Bellanca, who has worked for years with Mr. Robuchon, as have the head baker, Tetsuya Yamaguchi, and the pastry chef, Salvatore Martone.

Sheldon Fireman, a quintessential showman-restaurateur, opened Bond 45, his sprawling Italian canteen, in the old Bond clothing store in the theater district in 2005, then closed it in January 2016. He is moving nearby and expanding, with nearly 300 seats in several dining areas, the better to accommodate hordes of tourists and theatergoers looking for robust Italian fare. A showstopping antipasto display spreads over part of a central bar on the ground floor; there’s a terraced lower level called the Patio; and throughout are Mr. Fireman’s own Renaissance-style sculptures. The chef, Brando De Oliveira, will offer family-size platters of many dishes.

JoJo, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s two-story jewel box, an Upper East Side fixture for more than 25 years, has been closed for renovations since last fall. It will reappear with a lighter, more modern look, revealing an exposed brick wall and dressed with marble and mirrors. The chef, Steven Boutross, who was a sous-chef at Jean-Georges, will be in charge of the farm-to-table fare.

Pino Luongo is reviving Coco Pazzo, the Upper East Side Italian restaurant that he closed in 2008. He plans to reopen it in SoHo as a double-header: a cafe called Coco Pazzo Kitchen for eating in and takeout, including large popover-style rolls with hearty, braised meat fillings; and, in the evening, Coco Pazzo Trattoria, a restaurant showcasing regional Italian food, especially Tuscan. For the start-up, he’ll work with his longtime chef and associate Marta Pulini.

Eleven Madison Park, one of New York’s premier restaurants, moved its staff to the Hamptons for a summer pop-up as its dining room and kitchen were being renovated. The restaurant is due to reopen in October with a more welcoming entrance and new furnishings.